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Today I'm showing you how to easily update a basic bookshelf - no paint required!

I'm sure everyone has some of that very inexpensive Walmart furniture from our early 20s. It was cheap, it was functional, and as we get older and develop our style, it doesn't really fit anymore. The sad thing, is that I *adore* the shape of this bookcase. It has the perfect place to display all my Harry Potter things! I really didn't want to get rid of it, so I found another way.

Supplies:

Bookcase

Cleaning materials (swiffer duster, rag, paper towels, etc)

X-acto knife and scissors

Measuring tape (maybe)

Sticky back paper/vinyl in the color of your choice (I used 3 rolls of this one)

Rewards card for smoothing out air bubbles

Once I cleared my shelf off, I popped off all the little black dots used to cover up the screws. My shelf was only ever used for books, so it just needed a good dusting to make sure there was no pet hairs hiding anywhere, but if your shelf has been used for anything else you might need to spray it with a cleaner or some rubbing alcohol to make sure the film will adhere.

The first thing I did was cover the outsides of the shelf. I started off by measuring it but quickly realized I could just lay the paper over and mark where I needed to cut. The back of the paper has a grid to guide you, and the instructions say to leave yourself a few extra centimeters above what you need. I trimmed off any excess with an X-acto knife once I had it stuck where I wanted it (**don't for get to put something down to protect the floors if you're using an X-acto knife!) I used a grocery store rewards card to smooth out air bubbles.

I didn't want to disassemble the shelf (keeping this easy!) but I did remove the cardboard backing from behind it and decided to leave it open (plus it ripped in half while I was taking it off, so that made the decision for me. Oops)

The thing I really liked about this particular adhesive film is that it was easy to peel up and place it back down if it wasn't quite lined up straight. I've never worked with contact paper but I've heard once it's stuck, it's not moving. The downfall is that because of the width of the paper I have lots of long, thin pieces left over from this project. I'm sure I'll find another use for them!

Here's the finished shelf! My living room is a hard shape to photograph but this one little update has made a huge difference in the overall look of the room. I've been adding some rustic touches here and there, and this really helps to tie the room together!

Thank you so much for visiting the nest! Hit the IG button over on the right side of the page to see more of what I'm up to!